Ukraine war – live: Anti-Putin and Lukashenko campaigners win Nobel Peace Prize

Human rights campaigners from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in what will be viewed by many as a rebuke to Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.

The announcement in Oslo came as US president Joe Biden warned that the risk of nuclear “armageddon” was at its gravest since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, cautioning that Mr Putin is “not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming.”

Mr Putin has threatened to use “all the means at our disposal” to defend Russia. However, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow has not changed its position that a nuclear war must never be fought.

Meanwhile, Russia has demanded that a United Nations vote on a resolution calling on Mr Putin to reverse his recent annexation of four more regions of Ukraine should be held in secret, in the apparent hope that more nations will vote in Moscow’s favour.

Key Points

• Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian human rights defenders win Nobel Peace Prize

• Biden warns danger of nuclear ‘armageddon’ now highest in decades

• Moscow ‘fully committed’ to avoiding nuclear war, Russian foreign ministry says

• Nord Stream: Sweden investigation points to ‘gross sabotage’ of pipelines

• Bloated bodies of Russian soldiers found in trees in Lyman

• Russian missile strike kills 3 people in Zaporizhzhia

Peace prize should not be seen as birthday gift to Putin, says Nobel committee chair

13:48 , Andy Gregory

Nobel committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen has said that the peace prize shared by rights activists from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia should not be seen as a “birthday gift” to Vladimir Putin, who turns 70 today.

“The prize is not addressing President Putin, not for his birthday or in any other sense, except that his government, as the government in Belarus, is representing an authoritarian government that is suppressing human rights activists,” Ms Reiss-Andersen said.

All three laureates had made “an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses and the abuse of power”, she added.

Belgium expresses hopes ‘last hurdles’ for EU gas price cap can be overcome

13:21 , Andy Gregory

Belgium’s prime minister Alexander De Croo has expressed hope that the “last hurdles” to an EU-wide price cap on natural gas – announced in this week’s sanctions – could be agreed at a meeting today.

But with each member state depending on different energy sources and suppliers, they are struggling to see eye-to-eye on the best way ahead.

summed up the challenge for the EU as it considers a possible gas-price ceiling.

“A price cap on gas, if that could be achieved, would be grand — with the caveat that we cannot endanger security of supply,” said Latvian PM Krisjanis Karins. “So we cannot set the price so that no one would sell gas into Europe.”

Mr De Croo, however, said he hoped the “last hurdles” to a price cap would be overcome today in Prague, but also that leader should agree on a joint path of action to send two important messages.

“One to the energy markets, to make it clear we no longer accept these prices, we will not continue to pay this market manipulation. Secondly, an important signal to our populations, to our companies, that we are going to tackle the problem at the root,” he said.

New governor of Ukraine central bank vows to ensure a strong independent regulator

13:05 , Andy Gregory

The new governor of Ukraine’s central bank has said his “absolute priority” will be to ensure an institutionally strong and independent regulator, describing this as crucially important for ensuring macroeconomic and financial stability.

Before the Ukrainian parliament approved his appointment, Andriy Pyshnyi had helped advise the government on implementing sanctions against Russia, as the head of Ukraine’s central bank.

Drone ‘crashes’ into military airfield in Russia’s Kaluga region

12:00 , Andy Gregory

A drone has crashed into a military airfield in Russia’s Kaluga region, some 130 miles northeast of Ukraine, according to the region’s governor.

“Today there was an explosion at the Shaykovka military airfield in Kaluga region,” governor Vladislav Shapsha wrote on Telegram. “A drone, presumably coming from the direction of the border, crashed,” he said.

“The airfield infrastructure and equipment were not damaged. There is no threat to operations.”

Putin’s defence minister ‘should have shot himself’, says Russian-backed official

11:35 , Andy Gregory

A Russian-installed official in Kherson has lambasted Vladimir Putin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu, saying he should consider shooting himself over recent military defeats by Kyiv.

In an astonishing public insult to Russia’s top brass, Kirill Stremousov criticised “generals and ministers” in Moscow for their failure to understand the problems on the ground.

“Indeed, many say: if they were a defence minister who had allowed such a state of affairs, they could, as officers, have shot themselves,” he said in the four-minute video message. “But you know the word ‘officer’ is an incomprehensible word for many.”

My colleague Namita Singh has the full report:

Putin’s defence minister ‘should have shot himself’, says Russian official

Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian human rights campaigners win Nobel Peace Prize

11:16 , Andy Gregory

Human rights campaigners from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in what will be viewed by many as a rebuke to Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.

Ales Bialiatski – a jailed human rights advocate from Belarus – took the award, along with Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation the Centre for Civil Liberties.

Our international editor David Harding has more details here:

Rebuke to Putin as Eastern European rights campaigners win Nobel Peace Prize

Ukraine will ‘never’ call for use of nuclear weapons, Zelensky aide says

10:56 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky was referring to imposing sanctions on Russia when he suggested preventive strikes were necessary to preclude any use of nuclear weapons, and Ukraine will “never” call for such an attack, his spokesperson has said.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the remarks, made by Mr Zelensky during a discussion with an Australian think-tank yesterday, confirmed the need for what Moscow calls its “special operation” in Ukraine.

Serhii Nykyforov said hints at the use of nuclear weapons were “afforded only by the terrorist state Russia”, adding: “You will never hear such calls from Ukraine.”

Majority of Ukrainian tanks on battlefield are likely seized from Russia, claims UK

10:39 , Andy Gregory

Tanks seized from Russia now potentially account for more than half of those being used on the battlefield by Ukraine, the UK’s ministry of defence has claimed.

Kyiv has likely captured at least 440 Russian battle tanks and around 650 other armoured vehicles since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began, the department said in an “intelligence update”.

“The failure of Russian crews to destroy intact equipment before withdrawing or surrendering highlights their poor state of training and low levels of battle discipline,” it added.

“With Russian formations under severe strain in several sectors and increasingly demoralised troops, Russia will likely continue to lose heavy weaponry.”

Death toll from Zaporizhzhia strike rises to 11

10:22 , Andy Gregory

The death toll from a Russian missile attack on an apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia has risen to 11, Ukraine’s emergency service has said.

Twenty-one people were rescued from the rubble of residential buildings that were hit with modified S-300 missiles, the service said on Friday.

Regional governor Oleksandr Staruch claimed that the strike was not random and that Russian forces had deployed Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones for the first time, damaging two infrastructure facilities in Zaporizhzhia.

Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of targeting the same spot twice in order to kill responders, telling a summit of European leaders in Prague: “In Zaporizhzhia, after the first rocket strike today, when people came to pick apart the rubble, Russia conducted a second rocket strike. Absolute vileness, absolute evil.”

West ‘must build very credible deterrents’ to avoid war’s expansion, says Lithuania’s president

10:06 , Andy Gregory

The West must build strong deterrence to ensure that Moscow does not want to risk expanding the war in Ukraine, Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nauseda has said.

“We have to build very credible deterrents that Kremlin’s regime does not want to test our ability to respond,” he told reporters upon arriving at the European Political Community summit in Prague.

“We have to be strong and not let us [be] manipulated because the Kremlin regime is very good at that,” Mr Nauseda added.

Zelensky’s comments about ‘pre-emptive strikes’ confirm need for Ukraine invasion, claims Lavrov

09:48 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed that that remarks by Volodymyr Zelensky suggesting Nato should launch “pre-emptive strikes” on Russia “confirmed the need” for what Moscow calls its “special operation” in Ukraine.

“By doing so, [he] essentially presented the world with further evidence of the threats posed by the Kyiv regime,” Mr Lavrov said. “This is why a special military operation was launched to neutralise them.”

In a discussion with the Lowy Institute, an Australian think-tank, the Ukrainian president said (see post at 08:01 am) he believed strikes were necessary to preclude any use of nuclear weapons, however his office later clarified that Mr Zelensky was not referring to nuclear strikes.

EU’s Borrell to push member states for more support for Ukraine

09:31 , Andy Gregory

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said he will push the bloc to earmark more money to support Ukraine with weapons.

“I will ask the leaders to support the proposal for a new tranche for European Peace Facility to continue providing military support to Ukraine, also to the training mission,” Josep Borrell told reporters as he arrived for the inaugural European Political Community summit in Prague.

Putin was criticised by member of his inner circle, Biden reportedly told

09:16 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin has faced criticism of his handling of the war in Ukraine directly from someone in his inner circle, The Washington Post reports, cititing information obtained by US intelligence.

The claims were included in US president Joe Biden’s daily intelligence briefing and were shared with other US officials, people familiar with the matter are reported to have said.

Ukraine has retaken 500 sq kilometres in Kherson in past week, says Zelensky

08:56 , Andy Gregory

Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 500 square kilometres (195 square miles) and dozens of settlements in Kherson in the past week, Volodymr Zelensky has claimed.

“There are successes in the east as well. The day will surely come when we will report on successes in the Zaporizhzhia region as well, in those areas that the occupiers still control,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly video address.

Ukraine’s defence minister urges Russians to lay down weapons

08:37 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov has urged Russian troops to lay down their weapons, promising them “life and safety”.

“You can still save Russia from tragedy and the Russian army from humiliation,” Mr Reznikov said in a video addressed to Russian troops.

Russian-backed Kherson official criticises Moscow

08:18 , Andy Gregory

In rare but growing public criticism of Russia’s top military officials, Kirill Stremousov – the deputy head of the Russian-backed administration in Kherson – said the “generals and ministers” in Moscow failed to understand the problems on the front lines.

There was no immediate comment from Russia’s defence ministry, but discontent has begun to bubble up among even loyalist state television commentators.

“Please explain to me what the general staff’s genius idea is now?” said Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most prominent Russian talk show hosts. “Do you think time is on our side? They [Ukraine] have hugely increased their amount of weapons. But what have you done in that time?”

Zelensky calls on Nato to ‘eliminate possibility’ of Russia using nuclear weapons

08:01 , Andy Gregory

Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Nato should launch “pre-emptive strikes” on Russia to preclude its use of nuclear weapons, in remarks to Australia’s Lowy Institute – before his office sought to clarify that the Ukrainian president did not mean a nuclear strike.

"What should Nato do? Eliminate the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons,” Mr Zelensky said. “But, importantly, I am once again appealing to the international community, as I did before 24 February: pre-emptive strikes — so that they know what will happen if they are used. And not the other way around — to wait for Russiaʼs nuclear strikes to then say: ‘Ah, you are, well, take that from us!’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the comments as “an appeal to start yet another world war with unpredictable, monstrous consequences”, according to the RIA news agency.

But Mr Zelensky’s press secretary later said that the president “did not call on Nato countries to pre-emptively use nuclear weapons against the Russian Federation”, adding: “Colleagues, you have gone a little far with your nuclear hysteria and now you hear nuclear strikes even where there are none.”

“The president spoke about the period until 24 February. Then it was necessary to take preventive measures to prevent Russia from starting a war. Let me remind you that the only measures discussed at that time were preventive sanctions,” said Serhiy Nikiforov.

Hundreds of bodies found in Kharkiv following Russian retreat, police say

07:34 , Andy Gregory

In the Kharkiv region, where Ukrainian forces regained huge swathes of territory in September, the bodies of 534 civilians – including 19 children – have been found after Russian troops left, a police official has claimed.

The total included 447 bodies found in Izium, said Serhiy Bolvinov, adding that investigators have found evidence of 22 “torture rooms”. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Unhappy birthday: Putin turns 70 amid a string of embarrassing defeats

07:10 , Stuti Mishra

Vladimir Putin turns 70 today.

It is a landmark birthday but it is fair to say however he chooses to mark the day, a shadow will hang over the Russian president’s celebrations.

Here Maryam Zakir-Hussain writes how the Russian president has celebrated his birthdays in the past and how the situation has turned for him this year with the Ukraine war.

Unhappy birthday: Russia’s Vladimir Putin turns 70 with plenty to ponder

Moscow denies 700,000 have fled Russia

06:50 , Stuti Mishra

Moscow has denied reports that 700,000 Russians have fled the country since Vladimir Putin last month announced a mobilisation order to increase the numbers fighting in Ukraine.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov conceded he did not have an exact figure for how many people had left since the announcement on 21 September.

“I don’t think those numbers should be taken seriously,” Mr Peskov said.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain has more:

Moscow denies 700,000 have fled since call-up – but doesn’t have ‘exact figure’

Two Russians seek asylum after reaching Alaska island on boat

06:20 , Stuti Mishra

Two Russians who said they fled the country to avoid compulsory military service have requested asylum in the US after landing in a small boat on a remote Alaska island in the Bering Sea, Alaska US senator Lisa Murkowski‘s office said yesterday.

Karina Borger, a Murkowski spokesperson, said the office has been in communication with the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection and that “the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service.”

Read more:

2 Russians seek asylum after reaching remote Alaska island

Russia struck Zaporizhzhia with kamikaze drones, says governor

05:50 , Stuti Mishra

Russian forces have attacked Zaporizhzhia with Shahed-136 drones, Zaporizhzhia oblast’s governor Oleksandr Starukh said this morning.

Mr Starukh said infrastructure in two districts of Zaporizhzhia was damaged.

Overnight on Thursday, seven Russian missiles hit the city of Zaporizhzhia, damaging more than 40 buildings and causing injuries. Some people were also left trapped in the rubble of an apartment block.

At least seven people died and five were reported missing after the strikes.

Ukrainian forces liberated 93 settlements in two weeks

05:31 , Stuti Mishra

Ukraine’s armed forces have liberated 93 settlements occupied by Russia since 21 September, according to a Ukrainian general.

The military said it has advanced up to about 55 km over the last two weeks in a counteroffensive against Russian forces in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, pushing the Russian army significantly to the backfoot.

Biden warns danger of nuclear ‘armageddon’ now highest in decades

04:59 , Stuti Mishra

President Joe Biden warned yesterday evening that the risk of nuclear “armageddon” is at its highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, as Russian officials speak of the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons after suffering massive setbacks in the eight-month invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Biden made the remarks at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party’s apparatus dedicated to defending incumbent Senators and electing Democratic Senators.

“We have not faced the prospect of armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis,” Mr Biden said.

The US president said he knew his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin very well.

“He’s not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming.”

Eric Garcia has more details:

Biden says risk of nuclear ‘armageddon’ now highest since 1962

Social media users mock Putin with claims Czech Republic has annexed Kaliningrad

03:59 , Andy Gregory

Social media users in the Czech Republic have shared tweets claiming that their country has annexed the Russian territory of Kaliningrad and renamed it Kralovec, in a satire of Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

Slovak president Zuzana Caputova also got in on the joke on Thursday, tweeting that she “might consider a state visit. Or not”, adding: “Well done our Czech friends for de-masking the absurdity of Russia’s fictitious referendums in Ukraine.”

An anonymous Twitter user in Poland first posted about the fake “annexation” of Kaliningrad, with a Czech member of the European Parliament, Tomasz Zdechovsky, doing the same shortly afterwards. There has since been an explosion of jokes under the hashtags Kralovec and VisitKralovec.

EU sanctions individuals involved in Putin’s sham referenda

02:58 , Andy Gregory

Here are more details on the newly-announced eighth package of EU sanctions against Russia.

The bloc has frozen the assets of an additional 37 people and entities tied to Russia’s war Ukraine, bringing the total targeted by EU blacklists to 1,351. The new intake includes officials involved in Vladimir Putin’s sham referenda and annexation of the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The latest sanctions, published in the EU’s Official Journal, also widen trade bans against Russia and lay the ground for a price cap on Russian oil being prepared with other G7 members. The new commercial curbs hit an estimated €7bn of EU imports of Russian goods including steel, plastics, textiles and non-gold jewelry.

The wider EU prohibition on exports to Russia covers such products as coal, electronics used in Russian weapons and aircraft components.

Russian authorities ‘detain hundreds of Ukrainians near Estonian border'

01:51 , Andy Gregory

The head of Ukraine’s human rights commission has accused Russian authorities of detaining hundreds of Ukrainians as they approached Russia’s border with Estonia.

Russians “took them away on trucks to an unknown destination” on Wednesday, Dmytro Lubinets wrote on Facebook the following day, citing information from the Estonian interior ministry.

Most of them had fled their Ukraine through Russia and Crimea and were seeking ways to enter the EU or find a way to return home, Mr Lubinets wrote, adding that children and the elderly were among those waiting to cross the border in cold conditions without proper clothing or food.

Mr Lubinets noted that a mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which counts both Russia and Ukraine as members, was expected to meet next week with Ukrainians who had been processed through Russian “filtration camps”.

It came as Estonian foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu said: “We condemn the Russian Federation for not allowing war refugees to cross the border,” warning that such actions could amount to provocations by Moscow along the EU-Russia border.

IAEA to double number of inspectors at Zaporizhzhia

Friday 7 October 2022 00:46 , Andy Gregory

The head of the UN’s atomic energy agency has said it will double to four the number of inspectors that it plans to deploy to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

During a visit on Thursday to the Ukrainian capital, Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency deplored how workers in Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant are facing “almost unbearable circumstances” after it was captured by Russia.

Mr Grossi vowed to take up that issue and hopes of establishing a secure protection zone around the nuclear power station during talks with an unspecified “very high-level” official when he travels soon to Moscow.

Brittney Griner’s wife says Russia is holding WNBA star ‘hostage’

Thursday 6 October 2022 23:40 , Andy Gregory

The wife of basketball star Brittney Grinerhas warned that her spouse is demoralised and afraid that she will be forgotten as she waits to appeal the nine-year prison sentence handed to her from a Russian court on drug charges.

“As much as everybody’s telling me a different definition of what BG is, it feels to me as if she’s a hostage,” Cherelle Griner said. “It terrifies me because when you watch movies, sometimes those situations don’t end well. Sometimes they never get the person back.”

My colleague Graig Graziosi reports:

Brittney Griner’s wife says Russia is holding WNBA star ‘hostage’

EU nations will send Ukraine more weapons, including howitzers, says Macron

Thursday 6 October 2022 22:51 , Andy Gregory

Emmanuel Macron has said that European countries will send Ukraine more military equipment to counter Russia’s invasion, including more French Caesar-type howitzers.

“We are working indeed on several requests, with several members of the EU, including on new Caesars,” the French president said, as European leaders met at the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in Prague.

US accuses Wagner group of exploiting resources in Africa to fund war

Thursday 6 October 2022 22:02 , Andy Gregory

The United States has accused Russian mercenaries of exploiting natural resources in the Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan and elsewhere, using “these ill-gotten gains” to “fund Moscow’s war machine in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine”.

“Make no mistake: people across Africa are paying a heavy price for the Wagner Group’s exploitative practices and human rights violations,” ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting on the financing of armed groups through illicit trafficking of natural resources in Africa.

Wagner, staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali and other countries. It was founded in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and started supporting pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

Russias UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said he regretted that Ms Thomas-Greenfield had raised the issue of “Russian support to African partners”, adding without elaborating: “This exposes their real plans and aims – what they really need from African countries.”

Two Russian men flee forced military service by boating to Alaska

Thursday 6 October 2022 21:31 , Andy Gregory

Two Russian men fled the country by boat to a small Alaskan island to avoid being forced into military service, according to the state senator’s office.

The men arrived on a small island in the Bering Sea after leaving Russia and have asked for asylum, the Associated Press reported.

My colleague Graig Graziosi has the full story:

Two Russian men flee forced military service by boating to Alaska

European summit ‘a forceful show of solidarity with Ukraine, Liz Truss says

Thursday 6 October 2022 20:59 , Andy Gregory

Liz Truss has described the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in the Czech Republic as a “forceful show of solidarity with Ukraine” in the face of Vladimir Putin’s war.

“Leaders leave this summit with greater collective resolve to stand up to Russian aggression,” the prime minister said in a statement. “What we have seen in Prague is a forceful show of solidarity with Ukraine, and for the principles of freedom and democracy.”

Number of Ukrainian families facing homelessness in England increases by 22% in a month

Thursday 6 October 2022 20:33 , Andy Gregory

The number of Ukrainian families who are presenting as homeless to English councils has increased by 22 per cent in a single month, leading local authorities to demand “urgent solutions” from government.

Some 1,915 Ukrainian households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness have turned to local authorities for help since 24 February, with 350 families seeking help in the past month alone.

Charities have warned that the problem “will escalate in the coming months” as Homes for Ukraine sponsor arrangements come to an end.

You can read the full report from my colleague Holly Bancroft here:

Number of Ukrainian families facing homelessness in England surges by 22% in a month

Russia demands secret ballot in UN vote on annexation

Thursday 6 October 2022 20:05 , Andy Gregory

Russia has demanded a secret ballot during next week’s United Nations vote on a Western-backed resolution that would condemn its “attempted illegal annexation” of part of four Ukrainian regions and call on Moscow immediately reverse its actions.

The UN General Assembly has announced that its emergency special session on Ukraine will resume on Monday afternoon, when the draft resolution will be presented, with the vote expected on Wednesday.

While votes are traditionally public, Russia's ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said in a six-page letter to all of his other UN counterparts, obtained by the Associated Press, that the UN legal counsel has confirmed that a secret ballot can be used by the General Assembly “in decision-making”.

The resolution, sponsored by the US and Albania, demands that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders ... to enable peaceful resolution of the conflict through political dialogue, negotiations, mediation and other peaceful means”.

Russia seeks secret UN vote on condemning Ukraine annexation

Putin turns 70 with plenty to ponder

Thursday 6 October 2022 19:47 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin turns 70 tomorrow.

In previous years he has celebrated by hiking in Siberia, playing ice hockey and scoring seven goals, and attending world summits. However, this year promises not to be such a grand birthday – despite last week’s “gift” to himself of four illegally annexed regions of Ukraine.

When he threw Europe into chaos after launching his war against Ukraine in February, the Russian president believed his “special military operation” could be achieved in a week. But more than 220 days into what he supposedly hoped would be a seven-day war, Mr Putin is grappling with several major problems.

My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Unhappy birthday: Russia’s Vladimir Putin turns 70 with plenty to ponder

Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 34 miles in Kharkiv, says general

Thursday 6 October 2022 19:14 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s armed forces have advanced by as much as 34 miles in a counter-attack in the Kharkiv region over the past fortnight, according to a Ukrainian general.

Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told reporters that Ukraine had taken back 93 settlements and liberated over 926 square miles in the region since 21 September, in comments reported by Reuters.

Russian troops were fighting to slow a Ukrainian advance out of Kupiansk, a recently liberated railway hub town, claimed Mr Gromov, the loss of which he said had significantly complicated Russia’s logistics in the area.

Germans using too much gas, regulator says

Thursday 6 October 2022 18:46 , Andy Gregory

Germans are using too much gas to avoid a potential energy “emergency” this winter, the head of the national network regulator has warned, after last week’s gas consumption in homes and small businesses was nearly 10 per cent above average consumption since 2018.

With the reduction in natural gas flows from Russia, German officials have urged citizens to cut back on gas usage and conserve energy heading into the colder months.

“Gas consumption increased by too much last week,” said Klaus Mueller, the head of Germany’s network agency.

“We will hardly be able to avoid a gas emergency in winter without at least 20 per cent savings in the private, commercial and industrial sectors,” Mr Mueller added. “The situation can become very serious if we do not significantly reduce our gas consumption.”

Moscow calls for ‘comprehensive and open’ probe into suspected Nord Stream sabotage

Thursday 6 October 2022 18:34 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s foreign ministry has said that Moscow will insist on a “comprehensive and open investigation” into the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines – one which includes Russian officians and Gazprom, who were not invited to take part in the current probe.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the ministry said: “Not to allow the owner [of the pipelines] to witness the investigation means there is something to hide.”

But a spokesperson for the Swedish government – which is conducting the investigation – said it had received no application from Gazprom or Nord Stream to investigate the damage themselves.

UN nuclear watchdog ‘considers Zaporizhzhia plant to be a Ukrainian facility’

Thursday 6 October 2022 17:36 , Andy Gregory

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has said that the UN nuclear watchdog considers the Zaporizhzhia power plant to be a Ukrainian facility.

Russia captured the plant – which is Europe’s largest – in March, and yesterday Vladimir Putin ordered his government to take control of it.

“This is a matter that has to do with international law ... we want the war to stop immediately, and of course the position of the IAEA is that this facility is a Ukrainian facility,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told reporters in Kyiv.

Mr Grossi was due to travel to Moscow for talks to meet Russian officials following his talks in the Ukrainian capital.

More work needed to implement Russian oil cap, EU officials say

Thursday 6 October 2022 16:57 , Andy Gregory

There remain many details to be worked out by the G7 and European Union before a price cap on Russian seaborne oil deliveries – announced this week in the bloc’s eighth package of sanctions – can take effect, EU officials have told Reuters.

“Discussions on how the pricing will be set are still needed,” the officials were reported as saying, meaning that the EU’s decision is more of a first step towards putting in place an oil cap, rather than actually already implementing it.

They added that there was “some time pressure” to figure out the more nuanced approach compared to the EU’s previously agreed blanket bank for European firms on providing insurance and banking services to Russian oil shipments that would otherwise kick in from December.

Zelensky brands Russia ‘the most anti-European state in the world’ during summit speech

Thursday 6 October 2022 16:29 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine’s Volodymr Zelensky has addressed the inaugural meeting of the newly-formed European Political Community, which today sees the leaders of 44 countries meet in Prague, in what many called a united stand against Vladimir Putin’s war.

Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal was in Prague for the meeting, while the country’s president addressed the leaders by video link, saying: “There are no representatives of Russia with us here — a state that geographically seems to belong to Europe, but from the point of view of its values and behavior is the most anti-European state in the world.

“We are now in a strong position to direct all possible powers of Europe to end the war and guarantee long-term peace,” he said. “For Ukraine, for Europe, for the world.”

Norway to restrict access of Russian fishing vessels

Thursday 6 October 2022 15:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Norway’s government on Thursday said it would restrict access to its ports by Russian fishing vessels, the Nordic country’s latest tightening of security following last week’s discovery of major leaks from the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Russian trawlers will from now on only be allowed to visit three ports and must undergo security checks when they do so, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt told a news conference.

Russia submits objections to Ukraine genocide case in World Court

Thursday 6 October 2022 15:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has submitted preliminary objections to a genocide case against Moscow brought by Ukraine, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Thursday.

At the ICJ, the United Nations highest court for disputes between states, parties can file preliminary objections if they believe the court does not have jurisdiction in a case.

The filing, which the court tweeted Thursday it had received on Oct. 3, has not been made public.

In a letter to the United Nations court in March, Moscow argued that the ICJ, also known as the World Court, did not have jurisdiction because the genocide convention does not regulate the use of force between states.

The filing signifies a change in Moscow’s attitude to the ICJ case. Russia is now engaging with the court, whereas it has previously skipped hearings and not filed documents directly with the court.

Ukraine filed a case with the ICJ shortly after Russia‘s invasion began on Feb. 24, saying that Moscow’s stated justification, that it was acting to prevent a genocide in eastern Ukraine, was unfounded.

During hearings in March, Ukraine said there was no threat of genocide in eastern Ukraine, and that the U.N.’s 1948 Genocide Convention, which both countries have signed, does not allow an invasion to prevent one.

After those hearings, which Russia had skipped, ICJ judges ordered Russia to stop the invasion of Ukraine as an emergency measure while it looked into the merits of Ukraine‘s claim.

The next step in the case will be a hearing on the objections against the jurisdiction of the court. No date for such a hearting has been set yet, but it is expected to be several months away.

Nord Stream: Sweden investigation points to ‘gross sabotage’ of pipelines

Thursday 6 October 2022 15:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Swedish investigation of the damaged Nord Stream natural gas pipelines has revealed detonations were set off, strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”.

“After completing the crime scene investigation, the Swedish Security Service can conclude that there have been detonations at Nord Stream 1 and 2 in the Swedish economic zone that have caused extensive damage to gas pipelines,” they said in a statement.

Undersea blasts damaged the gas pipelines last week, leading to huge methane leaks. Investigators said the blasts have involved several hundred pounds of explosives.

Although no officials have publicly blamed Russia for the explosions, Western officials are suspicious that Moscow was behind the attack, and say the leaks are a result of deliberate action.

Nord Stream: Sweden investigation points at ‘gross sabotage’ of pipelines

Moscow denies 700,000 have fled since Putin’s call-up order - but does not have ‘exact figure’

Thursday 6 October 2022 15:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Moscow has denied reports that 700,000 Russians have fled the country since Vladimir Putin last month announced a mobilisation order to increase numbers fighting in Ukraine.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov conceded he did not have an exact figure for how many people had left the country since the announcement on 21 September.

“I don’t think those numbers should be taken seriously,” Peskov said when asked about some reports in Russian media that up to 700,000 Russians could have left the country.

“I don’t have exact figures, but of course they are far from what’s being claimed there.”

Moscow denies 700,000 have fled since call-up - but doesn’t have ‘exact figure’

Russian missile strike kills 3 people, destroys apartment block in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia

Thursday 6 October 2022 14:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Russian rocket strike destroyed a five-storey apartment block in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least three people and leaving other residents trapped under rubble, the regional governor and emergencies service said on Thursday.

Firefighters rushed through the streets to tackle the blazes after the overnight attack, and more explosions were heard on Thursday morning in what local officials said was a renewed Russian strike.

“Another enemy missile attack. Stay in shelters!” Oleksandr Starukh, governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, told residents on the Telegram messaging app.

He later told Ukrainian television that one woman was killed in the overnight shelling, but said another woman who was earlier reported dead had survived.

Ukrainian emergencies service said later on Thursday a total of three bodies had been pulled from the rubble.

Twelve people were wounded, including a three-year-old child. Five were still under the rubble, Starukh said.

Kremlin rejects reports that 700,000 have fled Russia

Thursday 6 October 2022 14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin on Thursday denied reports that 700,000 Russians have fled the country since Moscow announced a mobilisation drive to call up hundreds of thousands to fight in Ukraine.

In a briefing with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he did not have exact figures for how many people had left the country since President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a “partial mobilisation” on Sept. 21.

“I don’t think those numbers should be taken seriously,” Peskov said when asked about some reports in Russian media that up to 700,000 Russians could have left the country.

“I don’t have exact figures, but of course they are far from what’s being claimed there.”

Tens of thousands of Russians, mostly military-age men, have fled the country in a bid to avoid being called up to serve in Ukraine. Kazakhstan, Georgia and Mongolia - which all share land borders with Russia - reported a surge in the number of border crossings following Putin’s announcement.

But getting exact figures on how many have left for good is tricky.

Ukraine accuses Russia of 'nuclear blackmail' over Zaporizhzhia plant

Thursday 6 October 2022 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia on Thursday of “nuclear blackmail” over its seizure of the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine.

Russia captured the plant in March, shortly after invading Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin ordered his government on Wednesday to take control of it. The plant is Europe’s largest, and Ukrainian staff have continued to operate it.

“(The) capturing of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (stands) for nuclear blackmail and for exerting pressure on the world and on Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video address to the Sydney-based Lowy think tank via a translator.

“You’re not using the weapons, but you can still be blackmailing by not having the nuclear power plant working for the people - the people are not receiving the electricity.”

Before the Russian invasion, the plant provided Ukraine with about one-fifth of its electricity.

Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of shelling the territory of the plant, risking a nuclear catastrophe.

U.S. believes Ukraine was behind killing of Dugina in Russia, NYT says

Thursday 6 October 2022 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

US intelligence agencies believe parts of the Ukrainian government authorised a car bomb attack near Moscow in August that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, the New York Times reported.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report, which cited unidentified U.S. officials. Ukraine repeated on Thursday its denial of any involvement in the attack.

The United States took no part in the attack on Dugina and was not aware of it ahead of time, the Times reported. American officials later admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination, the Times said.

Dugina, 29, was killed when a car bomb tore through the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving on Aug. 20. Her father, Alexander, who had been in a separate car, was pictured holding his head in shock as he surveyed the wreckage of the vehicle.

After the killing, Ukraine denied any involvement, while Russia‘s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Ukraine‘s secret services of being behind it.

If Ukraine were behind the killing, it would illustrate Kyiv’s ability to strike at targets in Moscow while also potentially opening up the Ukrainian elite in Kyiv to revenge attacks from Russia.

“The involvement of the Ukrainian state in this terrorist act, in this murder of a young girl was argued and proven by our special services,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

Peskov said the Times report was positive in the sense that it appeared that U.S. intelligence agreed with Russia on who was behind the killing.

However, he added: “I really want to hope that this is not some attempt by our American colleagues to absolve themselves of responsibility for any preparations for future terrorist acts which the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian regime, might prepare.”

Residents trapped under rubble of their home as Russian missiles blast Zaporizhzhia

Thursday 6 October 2022 13:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Seven Russian missiles have struck a residential block in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least one woman and injuring several others, a local official has said.

Residents were left trapped in the rubble of their homes of the five-story building after the strikes rained down in the city close to Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant on Thursday.

Governor Oleksandr Starukh told Ukrainian television that one woman was killed in shelling overnight, and another who had been reported dead had survived.

Residents trapped under rubble of their home in Russian missile strike

‘Cruelty with no meaning’: Civilians flee a city with no power or water – but plenty of Russian missiles

Thursday 6 October 2022 12:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

There is regular shelling in Kupyansk, large parts of which have already been damaged and destroyed, when Kim Sengupta visits.

Groups waiting on streets to be evacuated, or for welfare supplies to arrive, scurry for cover as explosions gouge craters on the road, he writes.

‘Cruelty with no meaning’: Civilians killed by Russian missiles as they flee

Kremlin says Russia will not be invited to Nord Stream investigation

Thursday 6 October 2022 12:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia was informed via diplomatic channels that there were no plans to invite Moscow to join an investigation into Nord Stream gas leaks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

Peskov added that Russia considers it is impossible to conduct such an investigation without Moscow’s participation.